To the editor:

I thank you for an objective job of reporting the news from Crestwood City Hall.

As a resident of Crestwood for more than 35 years, I have been quite pleased with the city and have read with interest news from the SunCrest Call.

Your articles lifted us up by pointing out Crestwood’s benefits and spreading sunshine in our lives.

Unfortunately, I now write in response to your Feb. 26 article “Non-residents obtain 66 percent of signatures on petition for state audit,” which painted others and myself as untruthful and possibly underhanded persons.

On July 17, 2003, the clouds of doubt formed over Crestwood as I read your article on Crestwood’s large budget shortfall of $112,010 for the 2003 fiscal year. You received my full attention with that bit of news.

On July 31, 2003, your report in the SunCrest Call where small-business owner Ken Boegeman was resisting efforts by Crestwood City Hall, which seemed to be grabbing his property — the Creston Center — upset me even more.

When I finished that article I called Ken Boegeman and offered to help, for I remembered Ken had a big smile, was honest, hard working with a delightful family.

As honest taxpaying Americans making a living in the realty business, Ken and his sons have earned the right to their business.

Yes, I joined him. I am not sorry to aid a friend in need.

Mr. Anthony, I am surprised you chose at this time to paint the Smart Growth Alliance as unethical and describe those of us members interested in Crestwood as trying to mislead and deceive our fellow citizens.

Yes, those of us you named and a thousand more forced an audit. Yes, Ken Boegeman and his kids worked their tails off to obtain the necessary signatures

I want the clouds of shortfalls to clear in the light of a state-controlled audit. I do not expect to find any crooks, only hard-pressed city managers trying to support the city in a land of rapidly falling sales revenues and far too many business closings.

For the record, on Tuesday night — Feb. 24 — at the Crestwood Board of Aldermen meeting, they kindly allowed me time to address the board and Crestwood’s management to review a few of the current financial problems.

Mr. Greer and the board are hopeful, honest and are fully aware of the problems; all are working to find answers.

The problems Crestwood faces will require us to work together and that includes the SunCrest Call.

John Foote

Crestwood

Editor’s note: We appreciate Mr. Foote taking the time to write the Call, particularly in light of the fact that he is only the second Crestwood resident we are aware of who has willingly disclosed his membership in the Crestwood Smart Growth Alliance. However, we disagree with his assertion that the article — “Non-residents obtain 66 percent of signatures on petition for state audit” — “painted others and myself as untruthful and possibly underhanded persons.” The news article did not contain any opinions about those who collected the signatures or the CSGA. However, in opinion columns — not in factual, unbiased news articles — we continue to question the veracity of the information being distributed to residents by the CSGA. We also wonder who is funding the CSGA and we certainly question whether the CSGA is operating in the best interests of all Crestwood citizens. If the CSGA indeed does have the best interests of all Crestwood citizens at heart, then the organization should have no problem disclosing its membership and opening its financial books for public inspection.